Farewell ELECTROMACH

By: Jan Wijnen

After more than 42 years, I concluded my career at ELECTROMACH on March 31. In April this year I celebrated my 65th birthday and I officially retired.

With pleasure I look back on my career at ELECTROMACH, which started in 1967 as a Junior Sales Engineer and also as ELECTROMACH’s first employee. In 1983 I joined the board of directors and 10 years later, in 1993, I promoted to General Director. In 1998 the shares of ELECTROMACH were sold to the R.STAHL AG by Hans Roerink.

Within the R. STAHL Technology Group ELECTROMACH developed and evolved over the years into a major player in the market of explosion proof systems. This only was possible due to our customers’ confidence.

It is remarkable to see that customers to whom I delivered in 1967/68 for the first time, now today, after more than 42 years, are still a very important group of our customers. This says everything how ELECTROMACH is positioned in the market. I would like to thank all relations of ELECTROMACH for their confidence they have given to us over the years.

I would also like to thank all ELECTROMACH staff for their commitment and cooperation. I have often asked a high performance of the staff and sometimes perhaps too much. This was of course to benefit our customers but it was necessary to continue our growth in the market. Without their support and commitment it would not have been possible to let ELECTROMACH grow to a major producer and supplier of components and systems for hazardous areas with gas- or dust explosions.

Exactly one year ago, we relocated to our new plant. There is plenty of room to grow and logistic processes are significantly more efficient. ELECTROMACH will seize the opportunities offered by the market to realize this growth. All the ingredients are present for this. Customers who have faith in us, a highly motivated and skilled staff, an excellent facility to produce efficiently and last but not least a parent company that allows us space to grow.

I wish my two successors, Peter Boers and Robert André de la Porte, the best of success to lead ELECTROMACH into a new decade.